a tag-along uke suggestions

Tulip

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Hi everyone,

I just started to learn the ukulele and am practicing on a concert ukulele. I sometimes have to tag along with my sister for hours long, so I'm thinking of buying an inexpensive ukulele I can bring along and practice while I wait for her. So, my question is should I get another concert rather a soprano? And what should I get that's durable for the heat of Houston summer? In case I need to leave the uke in the car, that is. I looked at MusicGuyMic in ebay and he has some afforable sopranos. But would practicing on a soprano then I get on a concert uke would mess me up? And if I leave the uke in the car with 90's or 100 degree heat, would it crack or damage my uke?

I would greatly appreciate some knowledgeable advices. I'm sorry, but I am quite clueless for I am extremely new at music and ukuleles. I figured picking up a ukulele is better than a gameboy, right? :p Thank you in advance for your patience and advices. :)

Ah, yes. When I said affordable, I mean less than $100. Preferably around $50 or so less. Or with that price, it's just not worth it? Any 2cents would be much appreciated.
 
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Sopranos make the best car ukes, they take up less room. (going from a soprano to a concert is not a problem. I play all four sizes...your brain adjusts.)
I have two car ukes, My kids and I all play so one wasn't enough. One is a $30 one I got at Costco and the other one is a wall hanger I found at a yard sale for a dollar. Get a beater for the car and a pitch pipe you keep in the car for tuning. Put decent strings on it and it should sound okay.
I don't worry about my car ukes. If they fry or get sat on, oh well. But the neat thing is I always have something to practice on at stoplights and my kids serenade me everywhere we go. (and yes, they are better than a gameboy!)
 
Salukulady is absolutely right. Soprano to Concert? no prob. Besides, you already have a concert....get a soprano...then a tenor....then another concert...dont fight it....go with it.
 
How about a Flea? They're pretty fun. And they seem indestructible.
 
I have a Kala soprano.I just put it in a nice Lanikai hardshell case. They're pretty popular. I leave it in my pickup truck in the heat, and throw it in the back when I have a passenger. So far no problems, except when the Ukulele is a bit warm, all the strings need to be retuned.
 
Salukulady: Thank you for your advice! :D

Boozelele: LOL ... I wish I could afford to do that. Who knows, give it a few years and I'd have a wall of ukes that I don't even know how or when they got there. :p

sukie: A flea sounds very tempting. They look cute too. Although $150 is not expensive, I'm not sure I can afford that at the moment. Well, not for something I don't really, really, really need. Hmm...but I do need entertainment on the road...:uhoh: hihi.....

Oh yeah, how are they indestructible?
 
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I have a Kala soprano.I just put it in a nice Lanikai hardshell case. They're pretty popular. I leave it in my pickup truck in the heat, and throw it in the back when I have a passenger. So far no problems, except when the Ukulele is a bit warm, all the strings need to be retuned.
What kind of heat are you talking about? In Houston, the heat index, especially in the car, can go up to 120 degrees or above in the summer. Someone told me I should not leave my uke in the car, period.
 
What kind of heat are you talking about? In Houston, the heat index, especially in the car, can go up to 120 degrees or above in the summer. Someone told me I should not leave my uke in the car, period.

Fleas are really cool (i have a fluke) but you are right, a $150 uke is not something you want to leave in the hot car (unless $150 is cheap to you - to me it's a pretty good chunk of cash). You can buy a Mahalo or Makala pretty cheaply, and then if it explodes in the car it wont hurt quite so much. Im thinking of a car uke too actually....I think $50 is much more reasonable.
 
I found a Kala 15S soprano uke, plus shipping, makes the total to be $76. Hmm....thinking...thinking Don't see anything cheaper online. I'm gonna look around some more. And $150 is a pretty good chunk of cash to me too. :p If I have the extra cash at the moment, I would go for the flea so I'd have something different to what I have now. I would just haul it everywhere I go. I may just look artistic carrying an instument on my back everywhere I go?? Or just weird...but who cares, right? :rofl:

Boozelele: Mahalo or Makala ukes ARE cheap. Thanks!
 
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I was able to get my flea for $100. I knew that was a deal so I basically grabbed it -- it was used but looked perfect. The plastic body should hold up to the heat. I don't leave my ukes in the car at all so I don't really know what heat would do. I know what the others mean, but I'm not sure I'd want to lose $50 when my uke blows up in an over-heated car though.

As for concert vs soprano -- My main uke is a concert. Then I got a UAS itch -- thanks to everybody here for that -- and got a flea. It really doesn't make too much difference when I switch. Sometimes the flea is just a lot more fun to play for certain songs.
 
A flea for $100 is a good deal.

Thank you everyone for their opinions so far. I'm gonna look around and see what I want to consider. Sukie is right, $50 is still $50.

Southern CA can be quite hot, and your Makala survives in the car? Wow!
 
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